BY JOE SCOTCHIE
jscotchie@antonmediagroup.com
The journey from Port Washington to Roslyn isn’t a long one, but Yvonne Pastolove’s reading at the Bryant Library last Thursday had very much the feel of a homecoming as the novelist read from a work in progress, while also sharing her work habits with an appreciative weekday audience.
Pastolove, who lived with her family in Roslyn from 1963 to 2007, is the author of two historical novels, Gabrielle’s Story and Aglaia’s Story. While Pastolove stressed the importance of research and historical events to her writing, both novels follow heroines who move from from one destination in Europe to another, mirroring the author’s own life, one also marked by travel from the Old World to the New World.
A native of Zurich, Switzerland, Pastolove benefited from growing up in that multi-lingual nation. She spoke French at home and learned German at school. As an exchange student in Boston, the young Pastolove met and married her future husband, an American citizen. The couple, as noted, moved to Roslyn in the early 1960s and raised their three children in the village, all of whom are graduates of Roslyn High School. Pastolove and her family immediately enjoyed Roslyn’s many cultural amenities, including the Bryant Library. She continued writing as well, publishing short stories in various publications. Still, Pastolove and her husband had a family to raise. Once the children were older and out of the house, the Roslyn resident was able to return to her literary projects.
After the reading, Pastolove shared insights into the writing process. The novelist, as noted, enjoys an historical approach to fiction, stories that shed light on the times in which the action takes place.
“I’m fascinated weith people who have to find their roots,” she said, adding that much of her work is a quest for self-discovery. As far as creating compelling female characters, Pastolove said that raising three daughters made that process much easier. “Writing is gratifying at my age,” she said. “It keeps my mind occupied, which is important.”
Pastolove maintained that writers don’t necessarily need to simply write “what you know” but also should “write what interests you.” For Pastolove, that has meant the early 19th century and the Napoleonic Wars.
“So much happened at that time. So much more needed to happen,” Pastolove said, adding that France, at that time, had schools for boys, but had yet to offer such institutions for young women.
Both Gabrielle’s Story and Aglaia’s Story were published by Outskirts Press and are available on Amazon.com. Pastolove’s readers look forward to more efforts from an author who proves that it’s never too late to pursue your dreams.
